Web straightening means



July 7, 1942. CARROLL 2,288,786

WEB STRAIGHTENING MEANS Original Fild Jan. 26, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm. T A

I N V ENTOR. Fr M. Carroll BY mapd .1 TTORNYS.

July 7, 1942.

F. M. CARROLL 2,288,786

WEB STRAIGHTENING MEANS 0riginal Filed Jan. 26, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Fwd M Carroll INTO/Wm? y 1942- F. M. CARROLL WEB STRAIGHTENING MEANS Original Filed Jan. 26, 1'95? 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORY CONTROL FIG. 4.

6 1. W5- 1 0 H 5 a 5 6 4 l l H l 4 INVENTOR. Jred In. Carroll W TTORNEYS.

y F. M. CARROLL WEB STRAIGHTENING MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Fi led Jan. 26, 1937 INVENTOR. fi'ecl M. Carroll ATTORNEYS.

. E i: 2 li Patented July 7, 1942 Fred M. Carroll, Binghamton, N.

Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New, York, N. Y, a corporation of New York original application 122,360. Divided 1938, Serial No. 204,524

19 Claims. (Cl. 92-70) This case relates to web straightening or decurling means, and is a division of my application, Serial No. 122,360, filed January 26, 1937 and now Patent No.2,l81,935, dated December 5, 1939.

The machine with which this application is concerned is a card forming machine acting on a web to produce record or tabulating cards. These cards are intended for subsequent use in accounting systems, and in order that they be properly acted on in such systems, it is desirable that they be a fiat as possible. i

Accordingly, it is an object of the present in vention to provide novel means to cause the machine to produce substantially perfectly flat cards.

The initial curl or curvature of the web may vary with several factors. One factor, when the web is supplied in the form of a roll, is the length of time the roll has lain in stock, since the longer the roll is in stock, the more set the web .be-

comes in the curvature of the convolutions of the roll. Another factor aiiecting the curvature of the web is 'the variation in diameter, and,

therefore, of curvature, of the different convolutions of the roll. Still another factor is the initial curvature of the web prior to being wound in the form of a roll. Moreover, the web during its feeding through the card forming machine and the elements which produce the cards from the web may have its curvature varied by such elements. Furthermore, the transfer of the finished card to the card removing or conveying means may affect the straightness" of the card.

To take care of all these influences on the straightness of the finished cards, itis another object of the present invention to provide means for governing operation of the straightening means in accordance with the degree of flatness or straightness or the finished cards. This object is, further, to automatically govern operation or adjustment of the straightening means by means which detects the degree ofstraightness of the finished cards. The object is, still further, to maintain the straightening means in a constant state of flux, sensitively responsive to governing action.

Aside from its particular application to a record card forming machine, the present invention is applicable to the straightening of any web, sheet, strip,'or length of material, and the objects 01' the invention may be broadened to apply to the straightening of any web, sheet, strip, or length oimaterial. i

January 26, 1937, Serial No. and this application April 27,

for straightening or decurling a web, may also, if desired, be used to impart a curl or curvature to a length of material. It is, therefore, to be understood that the invention is not restricted in its objects to the particular application at the invention to the straightening of a length of material but may also apply to the curling of a length of material.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplate, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine; Fig. 2 is a 1 front view partly in section and with parts broken away to showthe normally conce led parts;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view partly insection of the upper right hand corner the card straightness or flatness detecting means;

Fig. 4 indicates the part of the circuit relating to the straightening means:

Fig.5 shows the card after it has been cut and printed, the card being shown on a reduced scale Further, the device, herein disclosed as utilized 58 Fig. 6 is a detail view of make and break contacts and control related to the straightening means;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the intermediate part of Fig. 1 showing the web straightening mechain other machines in which a straightening action on a sheet, web, or strip is found desirable.

Briefly, the machine feeds a web at an angle to a straightening element which imparts a straightening action to the web depending on the angle of the web as the latter passes over or around the straightening element. To increase the positiveness of the straightening action and to maintain the web at the required angle to the straightening means, the first straightening element is in coaction with 0. element which underlies the web, and in combination with the first straightening element pinches the web asit passes between the straightening elements.- The angleof entry of the web to the first straightening element or the relative or angular positions of the coacting straightenof Fig. 1 showing second straightening.

ing elements determines the degree and direction of straightening correction imparted to the web. After passing the straightening means, the web is fed through printing and then cutting means, forming individual printed cards from the web. The individual cards are transported to a conveyor and while on the conveyor, the straightness of the cards is sensed by means which regulates the action of the straightening means according to the degree of straightness of the sensed cards.

In detail and referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the supply roll ID of blank card material C is carried by a two-part spool ll located on a shaft 12 fixed to a leg of the frame. The spool II is located between friction washers l4 and I5, the former encircling the neck of a collar I6 removably secured to the outer end of the shaft l2 adjacent the spool and the washer l encircling the neck of a collar ll keyed to shaft l2. Surrounding shaft l2 and engaging the side of collar l1 opposite friction washer I5 is the hub of a lever l8, the hub having an internally threaded nut portion l9 coacting with the threaded portion 29 of shaft [2. The outer end of lever i8 carries a guide roller 22 for the web of material C coming off the supply roll 19. The distribution of weight of the arms of lever l8, added to the weight of roller 22, is such as to impart a tendency to the lever to swing clockwise (Fig. 1). Accordingly, roller 22 would drop unless supported by the web looped around the bottom of the roller. The roller thus exerts force on the web C to maintain it under tension. As long as the web is feeding properly off the roll l9, it will act on roller 22 to support the roller 22 and lever I8 in upper position, limited by engagement of the lever with a fixed stud 23. In the upper position of lever l8, the spool H is free to rotate between friction washers l4 and I5. When the web stops feeding from the supply roll or is cut off above the roller 22 in a manner to release the tension of the web on roller 22, then lever l8 drops and by the coaction of its nut portion I9 with threaded portion 20 of shaft I2, the hub of the lever is moved towards spool H, thereby compressing the spool between washers l4 and I5, which thereby act to brake-the spool and stop rotation of the supply roll In due to momentum.

The web of material C is led from roll I 9 over a guide roller 24 journaled by an arm 25 which is swiveled to a part of the frame to tilt laterally or sidewise. The axis of lateral movement of guide roller 24 is substantially in line'with the top of the roller. and consequently with the di- 5 rection of feed of the web as it leaves the guide roller. Thus. the top of the roller will have substantially no lateral tilting movement, so that the web will be directed thereby in a predetermined. constant. path. The rest of the roller below the top is laterally tiltable to follow the side weave of -the web as it comes off the supply roll. while the top of the roller is effective to direct the web in a straight, predetermined path. The action of roller 24 may be clear if it be considered that the roller is always tilted in the direction which the web takes as its leaves the supply roll l0.

From roller 24, the web is threaded through the horizontally extending slot ofa plate 21 which forms part of a web thickness gage, the function and operation of which are explained in my parent application, Serial No. 122,360, now Patent 2,181,935 issued December 5, 1939, of which this case is a division.

Iii

From the thickness gage, the web proceeds over a guide roller 31, around previously mentioned web-tensioning roller 22, and around guide rollers 31a and 31b. From roller 3'"), the web is passed between the bottom of a roll 38 and the top of a plate 39 tangentially disposed relative to roller 38 (refer to Figs. 1, '7, and 8). Plate 39 is rigidly provided at one side with a vertical arm 49 freely mounted on the shaft 42 of roll 39. Shaft 42 of roller 38 is journaled between the sides of a yoke 43. Between yoke 43 and arm 40 is a spring 44 urging the arm and the plate 39 rigid therewith to rock counterclockwise (Fig. 7) about the periphery of roller 38. At its right hand end, plate 39 abuts the right angular lower corner of a straightener block 45. The web passes between roller 38 and plate 39, then proceeds between the plate and straightener block 45. The straightener block is rigidly secured to the lower end of a convex guide plate 46, having side flanges 46' to engage the sides of the web and prevent lateral movement of the web. As the web is fed around block 45 and upwardly along guide plate 46, the pressure of the lower corner of the block on the web as the web changes direction tends to impart a curvature to the web opposite to its curvature as part of roll I. The net effect of the action of block 45 is to compensate for the initial curvature of the web so as to straighten the web preparatory to its proceeding through the printing and cutting means, to be described later. The degree of straightening imparted by block 45 to the web depends on the angle of entry of the web relative to the block as the web passes around the lower corner of the block. This angle of the web depends in turn on the position of the plate 39 and of roller 38. The greater the angle, the greater the straightening effect of block 45.

Thus. in the full line positions of roller 33 and plate 39 in Fig. '7, the angle is most abrupt and the straightening effect is the maximum required while in the lower, dotted line, positions, the angle is a minimum and the straightening effect the least.

The drag of the paper on the surface of plate 39 and the action of spring 44 maintain the right hand end of plate 39 against the lower corner of straightener block 45, in all positions of roller 38. Thus, as the roller moves down, plate 39 rocks counterclockwise and its right hand end slides slightly along the lower corner of block 45. Consequently, plate '39 constantly, firmly, and positively holds the web against the lower corner of block 45, and serves as a web supporting surface opposite the block corner coacting with the latterto increase the positiveness of the straightening action which tends to curve the web in the direction of curvature of the guide 46. In effect, plate 39 and block 45 coact as straightening elements pinching the web between them. Further, plate 39 prevents the part ofthe web between the roll 38 and the block 45 from bowing downwardly, a condition which would make the angle of entry of the web to'block 45 largely indeterminate. By maintaining plate 39 as a constant straight bridge between roll 38 and block 45, the angle of entry of the web to the block is always a definitely determined one, depending on the angle of the plate.

In order to continue to prevent bowing of the web away from block 45 after the web passes the edge of plate 39, a horizontally disposed guide bar 41 (also see Fig. 2) is provided parallel to the face of block is. Bar 41 holds sensitively reactive to the governing control exercised by means which senses'the flatness of the finished cards. The means for controlling the action and condition of the straightening'means includes the following means:

Referring to Piss. 7 and8, yoke 43 is pivotally carried by the round portion ll of a shaft ll.

which is rotatably carried by the frame. -Normally, shaft 40 is stationary, being held sobya friction, spring, washer it between the irame and a nut 52 on the'shaft (see Fig.2). The

, outer end ofportion to! shalt carries ahandle it which may be manipulated to rock the shaft 49. Round portion 48 is eccentric of the axis of shaft is and, consequently, when the shaft is rotated, the position oi the eccen-' tric portion 4| is changed to, in turn, adjust the position of yoke It and the roller 38 andplate 39 carried thereby. Yoke 43 has a pin 54 passing through a slot is of a ratchet sector 58 rotatably carried by the concentric portion of-shaft 4!. Thus, when yoke is adjusted, through the pin and slot connection with acetor I6, adjustment of the sector will also be eflected. The purpose of the manual adjustment of yoke 43 is to provide for a manual setting of the roller 30, plate It, and sector, It to the proper initial positions.

Sector 56 is provided with ratchet teeth it and is connected to the plunger is of a dash pot II. The purpose-0i the dash pot is toretard descent of the sector.

Opposite ratchette'eth It is a dog .2 weighted to tend to engage its nose with the ratchet teeth.

The dog is pivotally carried by a lever 63 pivoted on a stud it carried bythe frame. The lever 63 is connected through a link i! to the plunger 66 of a solenoid i1. deenergized condition, the plunger It is at its lower limit and lever 53 is at its clockwise limit (as viewed in Fig. 7). In this latter position of lever 68, the bottom of dog I is abutting a fixed stud counterclockwise position against a pin I! on lever 63 and with its nose free of ratchet teeth 58.

when solenoid 61 is energized, it elevates a plunger 68 to rock lever 63 counterclockwise, thereb causing dog 62 to rise. As soon as the dog is free of stud ill, its nose engages one of the teeth ii to raise sector 6 against res stance of a spring Ill; The energization of solenoid 81 is momentary, as will be brought out later; hence dog it raises sector 88 a small amount and then returns downwardly. The sector tends to descend also but its return action is retarded by dash pot 60, so that dog 82 moves down faster and through a greater distance than the sector in any given time. Consequently, upon two successive energizations oi solenoid 61, following each other in rapid'succession, 'the dog engages a lower ratchet tooth is upon the sec- 0nd rise than it did not upon the first rise, thereby moving the sector further upward the second time than it did the first time. In this manner, successiveenergizations oi solenoid I may intermittently move sector it upwardly till the latter reaches its upper limit. On the other hand,

straightening eilcct of block of the web against once the straightening I 3 i! the mergisations of the solenoid dog 62, the latter will, second rise, engage 0. than upon the first me second rise the sector than previously. The come to its lowest position, shown in Fig. 7. The lower the sector the greater the anglcwhich plate it makes with the straightener block and the greater the straightening action of the plate and block. If the coaction of block 5 and plate is over-compensates the initial curvature of the web, then solenoid 87 will be enersized, by means presently to be described, to raise the sector to reduce to the straightening block, and to thereby reeiiect oi the plate and block. If the sa. tightening eiiect is too little, the solenoid willbe deenergized and dog I! will from sector teeth 5|, permitting the sector to move down and increase the It. In operation, the sector It will both constant oscillation to maintain the straightening action constantly in flux depending on the amount of straightening higher tooth it and at the end of the will be in a lower position be described later on.

The web, after straightening, proceeds along curved. flanged, guide plate 48, past a knife blade I! (l'ig. 7), but without touching the latter, and into the grip of feed rollers 13. The curve guide plate 48 stifiens it sidewise or transversely so that pressure exerted by the sides of the web against the web-confining side flanges 40' of plate ll will not tend to bend or crimp the web vertically. The flanges thus engage the opposite sides of the web to guide it properly in its upward travel.

The feed rollers I3 feed the web upwardly between a type roller It and a platen roller I5 which constitute a printing couple (see Figs' 1 When the solenoid is in I and is thereby maintained in a" and 2). Ink is supplied to type roller It by an inkingrollliwhichispartofaninkingunit K (Fig. 1), similar to the inking unit disclosed in latent No. 1,563,014. As the web passes through the printing couple, successive duplicate impressions of card forms are made on a face i the web. A

After the printing couple, the web is fed between a pair of curved plates 81 which, as

printing means and past the jamdetector. The

feed rollers continue to feed the web, after leaving the jam detector, between a pair of rotating and coacting cutter devices Ill and "3a, respectively mounted on spindles llll and Ill.

Wh'le the web is feeding upwardly continuously, the cutter devices cut the web along a straight line at right angles to the direction of feed ofthe web and to the length of the web, in

a manner which is explained in my parent applicat'ien. The blades are timed to cut the web at intervals such as to separate the successive impressions of duplicate card forms from each other. The portion of the web above the cutter and which has just been severed along its botsector may thus gradually the angle of plate 39 tom edge from the rest of the web is now a printed, individual tabulating card T such as shown in Fig. 5. During the cutting operation, the portion of the web above the cutters moves between paired guide flutes of a pair of spaced, oppositely rotating fluted guide rollers IIO. These guide flutes guide the upper edge of the card, now being cut from the web, to a pair of reciprocating grippers I25, which grip the opposite side portions of the card, and after the card has been completely severed from the .web, lift the card into the grip of one of the clamps or clips I44 (see Fig. 3) equally spaced about the periphery of a card conveying drum I40. Drum I 40 is continuously rotated counterclockwise (Fig. 1) through a train of gearing including gear I43 on shaft I42 of the drum, the gearing being driven by a motor M. During rotation of the drum, its clips I44, just before reaching a card receiving position, are temporarily opened to receive the upper edge of the card being gripped and elevated by grippers I25. Grippers I25 then release the card and the clip I44 into which the upper edge of the card has been intruded closes and now grips the card firmly to the periphery of the drum I40. The above means for transferring the cards from the cutting means to the conveyor I 40 and the construction and operation of the latter are fully described in my parent application and need not be further explained herein.

The cards are delivered to the successive clips I44 of conveyor wheel I40 to be conveyed by 'them away from the card printing and severing section of the machine. The successive cards carried by clips I44 after guide rollers IIO have released the sides of the cards and while along the upper right quadrant of the locus of travel of the conveyor drum I40 hang down from the clips and lie in divergent planes. These planes diverge because the cards are gripped at diiferent points of the drum to which the cards tend to lie tangent. Further, the cards are held in divergent planes, positively spaced apart by engagement between the under side of one card with the outer face of the clip beneath the card and following the clip which is gripping the card at its upper end.

While the cards are still at the right side of the locus of travel of the conveyor drum I40 and while extending at diiferent inclinations from the drum, as indicated in Fig. 3, the lower edges of a number (in this instance, flve) of successive cards ride along a light wire I50 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) pivotally suspended from a pivot stud I5I which is carried by a vertical wall of a casing I52 which has a horizontal extension I52 slid-' ably engaging the bottom of the horizontal leg of an angle bracket I53 (as indicated in Fig. 2). Extension I52 has ears I52a through which a screw I54 passes. The screw I 54 is rotatably carried by bracket I53 and its threaded portion coacts with a threaded hole in one of the ears I52a while its s ooth shank portion passes freely through th other car I520. Casing I52 is thus slidably mounted for movement along the horizontal leg of bracket I53. The purpose of thus slidably mounting casing I52 is to provide for adjustment of the casing towards or away from the outer edges of the cards on the conveyor drum. By turning screw I54, the casing I52 may be moved towards or away from the cards on the drum. Since wire I50 moves with the casing, the adjustment of the casing also adjusts the wire to engage the requisite number of cards with the required pressure.

' I0 has been overcompensated by straightener The upper end of wire I50 is bent angularly as indicated in Fig. 2 and, through insulation, engages a light spring contact blade I55. Blade I55 carries one of the points of a switch I55, the other point of which is carried by the blade I51. Switch I50 is in the circuit of solenoid 61 (Fig. '7) which, as previously explained, cone trols the position of ratchet sector 55 to determine the degree of straightening of the web to be effected by the straightening block 45. When switch I 50 is open, the solenoid is deenergized and the ratchet sector is moving down to increase the straightening effect. When switch I55 closes, the solenoid is energized to raise the ratchet sector for reducing the straightening effect.

Wire I50 is constantly sensing the lower edges of a group of flve successive cards at the right side of the conveyor wheel I40. If these cards have been overstraightened, that is, if the initial curvature of the web coming oil the supply roll block 45, then the cards will have been ven a convex curvature approaching the curvature of the conveyor wheel rim and their lower edges will extend closer to the wheel rim than if the cards were absolutely straight and uncurved. If

the cards have been correctly straightened, their lower edges will lie further out than when the cards have a convex curvature. If the cards have not been straightened enough, they will have a concave curvature, and when on the drum I40 and adjacent wire I50 their lower ends will extend still further out than when the cards have been properly straightened.

When the action of straightener block 45 has not sufllciently compensated for the initial curvature of a portion of the web, so that the cards formed from this portion of the web have their lower ends extending too far out from the periphery of the conveyor drum, then as these cards wipe the wire I50, they move the wire into counterclockwise position (as viewed in Fig. 3). As a result, the upper end of wire I50 is holding spring blade I55 away from blade I51, and switch I56 is open.

With switch I55 open, solenoid 51 is deenergized, permitting ratchet sector 55 to descend, which causes roller 38 and plate 33 to rise and increase the angle of the web to the straightener block 45, thereby increasing the straightening effect.

When the straightener block 45 has overcompensated the initial curvature of a portion of the web, the lower edges of the cards formed from this web portion extend too far in towards the drum periphery, so that as they wipe wire I50, they permit the wire to be moved clockwise by the pressure of spring blade I55, thereby closing the switch I55. Consequently, solenoid 51 is energized to cause ratchet sector 55 to rise and reduce the straightening action.

In above manner, when the web has been over-straightened, switch I55 is closed to result in a reduction of the straightening action. the web has not been straightened enough, switch I55 is open to result in an increase in the straightening effect.

When the cards have been perfectly straightened, their lower ends as they ride along wire I50 will hold the wire intermediately between extreme switch opening and closing positions, so that switch I56 will still be open. Thus, when the cards have been perfectly straightened switch I55 will be open and solenoid 51 deenergized to in- When aaesnsc crease the straightening eflect. The increase in straightening effect will impart a convex curvature to the'web. The cards following the perfectly straightened cards will thus be convexly curved, thereby permitting switch I to close for causing reduction in the straightening action. From the position in which wire I5. is held by perfectly straightened cards, it need move only a very slight amount clockwise to cause switch I to close. Thus, the cards following the perfectly straight ones need be only minutely convex to eflect closing or switch I". Also,the reduction instraightening action which then follows need be only very small before the straight enough to open switch 156. Thus, switch I! will be constantly opening and closing to cause intermittent deenergization and energization of solenoid 61. Every time the solecards become u a stop pin 1. Gear 8 meshed with gear I noid is deenergined, it permitsthe ratchet sector II to descend in order to increase the straightening action. When energized, the solenoid causes the ratchet section to rise and tend to reduce the straightening eflect. When the cards sensed by wire III are perfectly straight, deenergization and energination of solenoid 6'! follow each other rapidly, as explained above. Thus, ratchet sector it will be constantly in oscillation from a position in which the straightening action produces substantially perfectly straight cards to a position in which the straightening action increases slightly. The tendency is thus for the straightening action to increase. This tendency exactly compensates for the gradual increase of initial curvature of the web due to diminution of the supplyroll. The net eitect is to provide a straightening action, throughout the operation of the machine on a s pp y roll II, which will produce cards varying from absolute straightness to imperceptible degrees of departure from absolute straightness.

The control of the straightening action by the finished cards takes into account any actionon the web of the partsthrough which the web passes prior to its delivery to conveyer drum I40. By causing wire I III, due to its sensitive response to changes in the degree of straightness of the cards, to oscillate constantly through a mean position to in turn cause constant oscillation,

about means positions, of ratchet sector 56, the

straightening controlis maintained in constant flux, alert to changes in the degree of straightness of the card. The mean positions of the straightening control sector 58 vary with'the initial curvature of the web andin any particular mean position of "the sector, the straightening means has a corresponding resultant straightening enect, Thus, as the supply rolllll diminishes in diameter, the web curvature is initially greater and the resultant straightening action must be increased bylowering the meanposition. of the ratchet sector. Before the increase in resultant straightening eilect takes place, the cards riding along wire IIII will cause the wire to hold switch iii open longer than normal. "Consequently, solenoid 61 will remain deenergized longer than the normal terval, permitting the ratchet sector to descend a lower position than previously, for increasing the straightening action. The normal oscillation of sector 56 will then resume about a new and lower mean position.

As indicated in the circuit diagram (Fig. 4) in series between the opposite sides of the current supply, are solenoid 61 which controls operation of sector 56 of the webstraightening mechanism, switch I58 controlled by cardsensing wire I", and timing contacts 2. These timing contacts close periodically during operation of the machine, in order to time the making and breaking of the circuit of solenoid 1. Thus, if switch I" is held closed by over-straightened cards, the circuit of solenoid Cl will be broken and made repeatedly by contacts I, so as to provide several successive driving impulses of the solenoid plunger.

Timing contacts III, as shown in Fig. 6. are carried by spring blades 3 and 4H. Engaging blade 4 is an insulating block ll flxed to a pivoted arm Iii. Spring blade 4 is flexed to move away from blade Ill, and the pressure of blade Ill on block I! urges the latter to engage of conveyor drum I has a pair of pins 420 extending transversely and located at diametrically opposite points. As gear I rotates, first one closed to time the making and'breaking of thecircuit of straightenebregulating solenoid 61- which is under the further control of switch I56. The term strip material may be used, for convenience, in any of the subjoined claims, to refer to lengths of material or material comparatively long with respect to its width, and is not to be understood as limited to the material specifically disclosed herein but to any material, flat or otherwise, capable of being decurled by the disclosed machine.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In combination; decurling means flexing moving strip material to straighten the material, mechanism feeding the material past the decurling means to be straightened, automatic means for gaging the flexing action required to straighten the material, an automatic power actuator and means controlled by the gaging means for controlling the power actuator to selectively actuate the decurling means to maintain constantly the required flexing action.

2. In combination; decurling means flexing moving strip material to straighten the material, mechanism feeding the material past the decurling means to be straightened, means for gaging the flexing action required to straighten the material, and electrical means controlled by the gaging means for varying theflexing action to provide the required straightening eifect.

3. In combination; decurling means flexing moving strip material to straighten the material, mechanism feeding the material past the decurling means to be straightened, electrical means controlled by the material for gaging the flexing action required to produce the necessary straightening eifect, and means controlled by the electricalgagingmeans for governing operation of the decurling means to provide the necessary straightening eflect.

4. In combination; decurling means flexing strip'material to straighten the material, mechanism feeding the material past the decurling means to be straightened, anelectrical device for adjusting the decurling means to vary the flexin action thereof, means for gaging the flexing action required to straighten the material and including a switch selectively conditioned under control of the material, and a circuit controlled by the switch for operating said electrical device to govern the flexing action of the decurling means in accordance with operation of the gagins means.

5. In combination; decurling, means flexing strip material, while the material is in motion, for straightening the material, mechanism for feeding the material past the decurling means to be straightened, me'ahs including an electrical actuatorfor adjusting the decurling means to vary the decurling action thereof, means controlled by the material for gaging the flexing action required to straighten the material, and a circuit controlled by the gaging means for ener gizing the electrical actuator to adjust the decurling means for causing the material to be properly straightened.

6. In combination; decurling means flexing mechanism to feed the material past the decurling means to be straightened, gaging means controlled by the material subsequent to its passing the decurling means for determining whether the material has been overstraightened or understraightened, and means controlled by the gaging means in accordance with the determination thereby for automatically operating the decurling means to increase or decrease its straightening effect.

v to the response thereof to the flexure of the mastrip material, while the material is in motion to straighten the material, mechanism feeding the material past the decurling means to be straightened, means for effecting step by step adjustment of the decurling means to vary the flexing action thereof, and means for timing the interval between said steps to limit the extent of variation in the flexing action during the feed of a predetermined portion of the material past the decurling means.

7. In combination; decurling means flexing 'strip material to straighten the material, mechanism feeding the material past the decurling means to be straightened, reciprocatable means having a forward stroke effective to adjust the decurling means for varying the flexing action thereof and having an idle return stroke, a device operable for eilecting the forward stroke of the reciprocatable means, means for gaging the degree of straightness of the material, and means controlled by the gaging means for intermittently operating the device to provide successive effective forward strokes of the reciprocatable means for adjusting the decurling means.

8. In combination; decurling means flexing strip material, while the material is in motion, to straighten the material and including a device adjustable to vary the flexing action, mechanism feeding the material past the decurlingmeans to be straightened, and means controlled by the material solely in accordance with the flexure-thereof for governing operation of said, device to maintain the material issuing from the decurling means in straightened condition.

9. In combination; decurling means flexing strip material, while the material is in motion, to straighten the material and including a device adjustable to vary the flexing action, mechanism feeding the material past the decurling means to be straightened, and means controlled by the material in accordance with the flexure thereof subsequent to passing the decurling means for governing operation of the device to maintain the material issuing from the decurling means in straightened condition,

10.- In combination; decurling means flexing strip material to straighten the material while the material is moving past the decurling means,

terial for regulating operation of the decurling means.

12. In a machine of the class described in which apparatus is provided to operate on strip material and which may by such operation affect the flexure of the material; decurling means flexing the material while the material is feeding towards said apparatus, mechanism for feeding the material successively past the decurling means and said apparatus, means coacting with the material after passing said apparatus for gaging the flexure of the material, and means controlled by the gaging means for regulating the continued operation of the decurling means so as to cause the material issuing from the said apparatus after being operated on thereby to be in substantially straightened condition.

13. In a machine having means to form cards from a web of sheet material; a decurling unit flexing the web while the material is feeding towards the forming means, mechanism to feed the web successively past the decurling unit and forming means, means coacting with the cards after issuing from the forming means for gaging the degree of straightness of the cards, and means controlled by the gaging means for automatically governing the continued operation .of the decurling'unit.

14. In a machine having means for forming sheets from a web of sheet material; a decurling unit, mechanism to feed the web successively past the decurling unit and the forming means to be successively decurled and formed into individual sheets, means for receiving the sheets from the forming means, means controlled by the sheets while on the receiving means for detecting the degree of straightness of the sheets, and means controlled by the detecting means for regulating the continuing action of the decurling means.

15. In a machine having means to form in dividual sheets from a web of sheet material; a decurling unit, mechanism for feeding the web successively through the decurling unit and the forming means to be successively decurled and formed into individual sheets, means for removing the sheets from the forming means and including sheet conveying means, means coacting with the sheets while carried by the conveying means to gage the flexure of the sheets, and means controlled by the gaging means for automatically governing continued operation of the decurling unit.

16. In a machine having means to form individual, separated sheets from a web of sheet material; a decurling unit, mechanism to feed the web successively through the decurling unit and the forming means to be successively decurled and formed into individual sheets, means coacting with the edges of a series of successively formed individual sheets to gage the degree of straightness oi the sheets or said series, and means controlled by the gaging means in accordance with the control thereof by the series of sheets for governing continued operation or the decurling unit.

17. In a machine having means to cut a web or sheet material into separate cards a decurling unit, mechanism for feeding the webpast the decurling unit and the cutting means to'be successively decurled and formed into cards, means for removing the cards from the cutting means and including a conveyor having clamps, each for holding one card by one edge with the rest of the card extending outwardly to leave a free, outer edge, the position of which is related to the degree of straightness or the card, means engaging said free edges or the cards to gage the degree of straightness oi the cards, andmeans controlled by the gaging means for governing continued operation or the decurling unit.

' 18. In a machine having means to cut a web of sheet material into individual cards; decurling means for decurling the web prior to the cutting operation, mechanism to feed the web successively through the decurling means and the cutting means, means for removing the cards from the cutting means and including a device for carrying the cards by one of their edges with the rest of each card extending outwardly, leaving a free edge the position or which depends on the fiexure or the card, means for simultaneously engaging a series of successive ones of said free card edges to gage the flexure of the cards of said series, and means controlled by the gaging means for automatically adjusting the decurling means to egulate the continued decurling effect thereof.

19. In combination; decurling means flexing strip material while the material is in motion to straighten the material and including a movably mounted part movable to vary the flexing action or the decurling means upon the material, mechanism feeding the material past the decurling means to be straightened thereby, actuating means operable in successive steps to efiect movement in one direction 01' the aforesaid part of the decurling means for varying the flexing action,

said part 01' the decurling means moving in the opposite direction between the said successive steps. gaging means for coacting with the material to gage its flexure, means for timing the interval between the steps of operation of the actuating means, and means controlled by the gaging means and the timing means for operating the actuating means.

. FRED M. CARROLL. 

